Brewers television broadcaster Brian Anderson blogs about baseball in Milwaukee.

Behind The Scenes

Well, it’s been a struggle for the Crew this week. The schedule has not been kind and the theme in the Brewers clubhouse is “weather the storm.” They say, “talent prevails” so let’s hope the significant talent on this team will start prevailing soon. Hang in there, fans. Better days are coming.

This month’s entry on the House of Blogs is courtesy of FSN Wisconsin reporter Trenni Kusnierek.

-BA

In an odd twist of scheduling, the Brewers have been on the road far more often than Miller Park during the first month of the season. To be exact, when the team returns home on Friday, May 9th they will have played just 13 games in Milwaukee as opposed to 21 away from the city. From a baseball standpoint, the team has fared pretty well. Through the Sunday game against Houston, the Crew has nine wins and nine losses on the road. They have managed to overcome rain delays and steady showers along with freezing temps and unbearable humidity. Off the field, I’m not sure how well any of us are managing the long stretches away from family and friends.

One would be hard pressed to find any individual–be it a player, manager, coach, or member of the media– who would openly complain about working in the big leagues. The ball parks are beautiful, the cities have plenty to offer, and at the end of the day we are all playing a game. But all of those positives can’t make up for the fact that every week or so your life is disrupted and wives (and in some cases husbands), kids, friends, and family are left behind.

I think what often gets lost behind the box score, is that the players wearing a uniform are real people. The guys have bills to pay and kids to tuck into bed. On post games bus rides there is often a steady murmur of the quiet “I love you” or “be good for mommy”. There are shopping bags being lugged around with American Girl dolls and sweet smelling leather baseball gloves. And thanks to technology fatherly advice is even passed along via a webcam.

One of the most common inquiries I receive as a member of the traveling party is, “what is it like on the road?” Well, it’s long and at times arduous. There is no good way to pack for a ten day, three city trip where the temperatures will range from 35 to 85 degrees. We leave for our destinations about an hour following the series finale, even if that means boarding a plane close to midnight after a long night game. We do get to travel by chartered plane which is a nice perk. It takes away long security lines and having to buy fast food at the airport. Oh, and there is no worry about a getting a bad middle seat! I wish I could offer interesting, insider information, but not many shenanigans taking place away from home. Plane rides are filled with reading, movies, and sleeping and once we’re at the hotel it’s more movies, sleeping, and shopping.

The one positive about being gone for long stretches of time, it forces everyone to be together. You often see players car pooling to the park or grabbing a bite to eat. For those of us in the booth, we go for long runs and walks which allows us to get to know each other outside of work. Also, Brian and Bill know all the good restaurants, so when we break bread, it’s really good bread! The time together helps everyone become a better team–on and off the field.

With that said, it will be nice to finally come home at the end of the week. We look forward to seeing you at Miller Park!

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